Family Matters
by Ambie Danielle
Summary: Scott and Shelby Barringer try to raise their daughter without a specialist's help. Will they find love at the end of the road, or will their marriage break apart because of their daughter's challenges?
1. Chapter 1

Bailey winced as Shelby touched her leg with a washcloth soaked with peroxide. There had been blood all over Bailey's right leg until Shelby had washed it all off. Band-Aids and antiseptic ointment covered the coffee table.

"Ouch!" Bailey cried. "Mommy, that hurts."

Shelby tried to rub the cloth gently on Bailey's leg.

"I know it hurts, baby." Shelby replied. "But we have to clean it so it won't get infected."

Bailey was lying on the couch, while Shelby was sitting at her daughter's feet, trying to be as gentle as possible.

"We're almost through." Shelby said, after rubbing Bailey's entire right leg down with peroxide. "All we have left is the Band-Aids."

Bailey hugged her coffee-colored teddy bear tightly.

As soon as Shelby started to put the Band-Aids on Bailey's leg, Scott walked through the front door.

"Daddy." Bailey said. She gave her most babyish look.

"Hey princess." Scott said. He noticed Bailey's swollen leg, now being covered with Band-Aids. "What happened?"

"Another failed bike ride." Shelby told her husband.

Scott sighed, taking a seat in the recliner.

"I thought we had it down pat the other day." Scott said.

"Well, the training wheels have got to stay on until she's ready." Shelby said. She leaned over top of Bailey. "I'll go get you an ice pack."

Shelby kissed the top of Bailey's head, and then headed towards the kitchen. Scott followed her.

"You can't wait on her every hand and foot." Scott told Shelby, as he watched his wife dig through the freezer to find the coldest ice pack for their daughter's leg.

Shelby turned to Scott after she found the perfect ice pack.

"She's seven, Scott." Shelby explained. "She's a child, not a teenager."

Scott loosened his tie.

"We've been trying to teach her how to ride a bike for months now." Scott said. "You'd think she'd get it by now."

"Don't start this now." Shelby said, setting the ice pack down on the counter then crossing her arms.

"Start what, Shel?" Scott asked. "Start talking about the fact that our seven year-old daughter may be handicapped."

"Don't you dare say that!" Shelby commanded. "Don't say that about Bailey. She's perfectly fine."

"Then why can't she ride a bike like a normal kid?" Scott asked, leaning up against a counter.

Shelby covered her mouth with her hand, and then uncovered it.

"You know who you're reminding me of right now?" Shelby asked. "Do you even want me to tell you?"

Scott shrugged.

"Your father." Shelby yelled. "You're reminding me of your father, Scott. He used to treat you the same way you treat Bailey. Why, why do you do this? Once upon a time you used to love Bailey."

"I still love Bailey." Scott put in. "But I'm not acting like my father."

"What do you think you're doing now?" Shelby asked, walking over to him. "We both said we'd never act like our parents. And we never have until now. Until this very moment."

Scott looked down at the tiled floor, then back at Shelby.

"I am acting like him, aren't I." Scott said, sighing.

Shelby placed her hands on Scott's chest.

"I worry about Bailey all the time, but just because she can't ride a bike perfectly doesn't mean she's handicapped." Shelby explained.

"But that's what all the specialists we've went to have said. "Scott said.

"I don't give a damn what the specialists say." Shelby argued. "Bailey's just fine. She makes good grades, she has good friends, and she never gets into trouble. That's what I call our seven year-old daughter."

Scott smiled.

"I should never talk to my dad on my way home from work." Scott laughed.

"Why?" Shelby asked. "Because he gives you bad thoughts?"

"That, and plus he keeps me out of bed with you." Scott admitted.

Shelby looked confused

"Every time I talk to him, you and I get into an argument and I end up sleeping on the couch." Scott explained.

Shelby laughed.

"Well, as long as we put all the pictures of him down you'll be sleeping just fine with me." Shelby whispered, coming closer to his face.

Scott put his hands on both sides of Shelby's face, and brought it her up to him.

"Why do you have to make me want you so bad?" Scott asked, laughing.

"I don't know." Shelby said. "Maybe it's because I want you."

Shelby gripped the belt loops of Scott's jeans, and pulled his body up against her's. They both began to kiss each other passionately, then they remembered…Bailey.

Authors Note: Do you want what I want? If you do, I need three reviews before the next chapter.

Love,

Amber 


	2. Chapter 2

Shelby laughed at the thought of her and Scott having sex with Bailey being in the next room. Her and Scott were now sitting on the kitchen floor. The ice pack Shelby was supposed to take Bailey was still on the counter, but it was melting. The passion was still high between Scott and Shelby.

"Bailey's probably wondering what happened to us." Shelby said, twisting her hair between her fingers.

"It's only been ten minutes." Scott said, wrapping an arm around Shelby. "Knowing her, she's probably already fallen asleep."

"Yeah, you're right." Shelby agreed. "But we should go check on her. I don't want her to sleep this early."

Shelby slowly stood up, dragging Scott up with her.

"Do you want me to fix anything for dinner?" Scott asked.

"Nah." Shelby replied. "We'll just order Chinese. I don't think Bailey feels much like eating anyways."

Scott smiled. There was sexual tension still between the both of them. For the ten minutes they were in the kitchen, they had wanted to have sex but Bailey got the best of them. They knew to wait until they put their daughter to bed.

Shelby was shocked to see Bailey sitting up on the couch, watching TV. Both she and Scott were for sure Bailey would be asleep.

"Where were you, Mommy?" Bailey asked, looking at Shelby. "I thought you said you'd be right back."

Shelby sat down on the couch beside her daughter.

"I went to get you and ice pack, but Daddy and I got to talking." Shelby explained. It wasn't the whole truth.

Bailey turned back to the TV. She was watching Law and Order SVU. That was the only show she'd watch. Even though she was only seven, she loved watching the two main characters: Elliot and Olivia. She loved the crime.

Shelby grabbed the remote and turned the TV off.

"Are you hungry?" Shelby asked Bailey.

"A little." Bailey replied.

"You want some Chinese?" Shelby asked. "Daddy ordered your favorite soup."

It took an hour for the Chinese take-out to get to the house. The Barringer's were quite as they ate at the dining room table.

"That Tylenol knocked her out." Shelby said, looking at Bailey who was asleep.

Scott chuckled.

Shelby stood up, and then walked over to Bailey.

"I'm going to put her to bed." Shelby told Scott, picking Bailey up out of the chair. Bailey didn't flinch once. "Could you grab another ice pack out of the freezer?"

Scott nodded, and then stood up.

"I don't want her to wake up in the middle of the night with her leg bothering her." Shelby explained.

Scott walked into the kitchen, opened up the freezer, and grabbed a purple ice pack. After shutting the freezer door, he walked out of the kitchen and down the hallway to Bailey's bedroom. He watched as Shelby gently laid their daughter down on her bed.

"I got the ice pack." Scott said, holding it up for Shelby to see.

Scott walked over to the bed.

"Thanks." Shelby said, taking the ice pack from Scott. Shelby wrapped the ice pack up in a towel, and then laid it on Bailey's right leg. "This should hold her until morning."

Shelby stood up, then leaned over Bailey, and kissed her forehead.

"Do you think she'll sleep all night?" Scott asked, pulling the purple covers up over Bailey's body.

Shelby shrugged.

"I'm hoping she will since I gave her Tylenol." Shelby replied.

Scott and Shelby stood there, watching their daughter sleep.

"Let's go before we wake her up." Scott said, grabbing Shelby's arm.

Right after Scott and Shelby shut Bailey's bedroom door, Scott led Shelby into their bedroom, and shut the door quietly behind him.

Shelby smiled as Scott started to pull the covers down on the bed.

"I figured since Bailey was asleep, we could get back to where we left off in the kitchen." Scott said, walking over to Shelby.


End file.
